As soon as Dhruv opened the door to his apartment, Isha was standing there, holding an aarti thali and wearing a toothy smile. "What the hell is this, Isha?" Anant asked, clearly taken aback.
Isha's smile only grew wider as she said, "What? Dhruv has brought my sister-in-law with him, so the aarti will be taken away." Her words were laced with sarcasm, but they only seemed to anger Dhruv further.
"Which sister-in-law are you talking about? There is no one here," Dhruv growled, his teeth clenched in anger. He snatched the aarti plate from Isha's hands and stormed off to his room, leaving everyone in an awkward silence.
Isha turned to Vaani, who looked visibly shaken by the outburst. "Hey, don't be scared. He only knows how to scream and get angry," Isha said, trying to reassure Vaani as she cupped her face.
Anant, sensing the tension, intervened, "Isha, did we come inside?" He glanced at his wife, who was giving him a bombastic side-eye, and knew he had to explain the situation to her.
Meanwhile, Vaani's eyes were fixed on Dhruv's retreating back, her mind racing with memories of her past. She remembered how her uncle had reacted when she had cracked the NEET exam, and the similarity in Dhruv's behavior was unsettling.
As soon as Vaani stepped into the house, Isha performed a warm aarti and welcomed her inside. Anant, however, excused himself to attend a phone call, leaving Isha and Vaani alone.
Isha's excitement was palpable as she asked Vaani, "What's your name?" Vaani replied in a weak voice, "Vaani." Isha sensed Vaani's discomfort and understood that she was feeling uneasy around her.
Isha's face fell, and she said, "It doesn't matter if you're not feeling good with me. I thought if someone new came to my house, then I wouldn't be alone." Vaani quickly reassured her, "No, no, it's just that it's new for me to meet someone." Isha found Vaani's sentence strange, but she didn't pry further.
Just then, Anant rushed back into the house and went straight to Dhruv's room. Isha and Vaani exchanged confused glances. After a brief moment, Dhruv and Anant emerged from the room, looking urgent, and rushed outside the house.
Vaani's confusion deepened, and Isha rolled her eyes, as if to say, "This is normal around here." Isha then turned to Vaani and said, "Stay here for a few more days, you'll get used to it." With that, she dragged Vaani to the guest room, following Anant's earlier instructions.
As they walked, Vaani couldn't help but wonder what was going on in this chaotic household, and why she was being drawn into it.
Isha beamed with pride as she showed Vaani around the luxurious room. "This is your room, I have prepared it myself," she said, gesturing to the elegantly decorated space.
Vaani's eyes widened as Isha dragged her towards the cupboard. "And this is your cupboard," Isha said, opening the doors to reveal a spacious closet filled with clothes and accessories.
Isha then led Vaani to the bathroom, singing "And this is your bathroommmmm" in a dramatic, operatic tone.
Vaani, however, was still reeling from the shock of being given such a luxurious room. According to her, she should have been given a small, simple room, not this grand suite.
Isha noticed Vaani's tears and asked, "Hey, why are you crying? If you don't like it, I can design another one."
But instead of answering, Vaani hugged Isha tightly and burst into tears. Isha understood that Vaani was probably homesick and said, "It's okay," as she patted Vaani's back.
After some time, Vaani composed herself, and Isha instructed her to take a bath and rest for a while. "I'll call you at lunchtime," Isha said, and Vaani nodded.
As Isha was about to leave, Vaani called out to her, "Didi?" Isha turned around to see Vaani biting her lip.
"Why are you torturing them?" Isha asked, concern etched on her face. "If you're hungry, just tell me."
Vaani looked up at Isha and said, "Mujhe bhook lagi hai" (I'm feeling hungry). Isha's expression softened, and she said, "I'm bringing it now."
Isha rushed off to the kitchen, leaving Vaani to freshen up. When Vaani returned, someone knocked on her door, and she opened it to find...
Robin, the servant, entered Vaani's room with her bag. "Mam, this is your bag," he said, holding out the bag.
Vaani instructed him to keep the bag inside the room. As Robin was about to leave, Vaani stopped him. "Vaani," she said, correcting him.
Robin replied, "Hn?" (a polite acknowledgement).
Vaani continued, "My name is Vaani."
Robin nodded, "Yes, mam, I know."
Vaani looked at him innocently and asked, "But then why are you calling me mam?"
Robin explained, "Mam, you are Isha mam's sister, so if I don't say mam, what else should I say to you?"
Vaani's face scrunched up in confusion at the mention of being Isha's sister, but she chose to ignore it for the moment.
Instead, she said, "Vaani, you can call me Vaani."
Robin politely declined, "No, mam, I can't. Not only me, but all the servants in this house can't call any master by their name."
With that, Robin bowed slightly and left the room, leaving Vaani to ponder the strange dynamics of the household.
Vaani pov-
I returned to the room, opened my bag, and began searching for the photos of my mom and dad. As I found them, I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me. I started talking to the photos, "Maa, Baba, how are you all? I'm fine, you know that I'm married, I'm at their house... He's a little angry, but not like uncle... But both his brother and that sister are good... I don't know what happens next, but whatever happens, I'll see... You both don't take any tension."
Just as I was lost in thought, I heard Isha's voice behind me, "Missing them?" I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat.
Isha asked, "Then why not call them?" I looked up at her, my eyes welling up with tears, "Those people are not in this world, how should I talk to them?" I said, my voice cracking as I put the photo back in my bag.
Isha's face fell, and she looked guilty, "Oh, sorry... I didn't know..." But I quickly reassured her, "No, no, don't say sorry... Just give me food, I'm hungry."
Isha chuckled and handed me a plate of food. As we ate together, she looked at me with a loving gaze. After finishing our meal, I washed my hands, and we both sat down on the bed together.
I turned to Isha and asked, "Di, why did that bhaiya say that I'm your sister?" Isha took a deep breath before explaining, "As you know, the marriage happened under certain conditions... you'll have to keep it hidden from the world that the marriage took place... that's why everyone in this house has been told that you're my sister."
Isha's words came out in a rush, but I understood what she was saying. I nodded, taking in the information.
Isha tried to reassure me, "Hey, don't worry, everything will be fine at the right time." I nodded again, feeling a sense of uncertainty.
Isha left the room, telling me to take a rest. I lay down on the bed, my mind racing with thoughts of what would happen next. As I pondered, I reached for the hidden mangalsutra, the symbol of my marriage.
I looked at it, remembering Dhruv's words - that I had to hide it. As I gazed at the mangalsutra, I felt a mix of emotions. Before I knew it, sleep consumed me, and I drifted off, the mangalsutra still clutched in my hand.
dhruv pov-
I opened the door to my apartment, and Isha was standing there, holding an aarti plate. She said something about having to do an aarti, but I was in no mood for it. Why was she making such a big deal about this marriage? It wasn't even a real marriage, just a deal that had been made to ensure Anant's and my safety.
I threw the aarti plate out of her hand and stormed into my room. I couldn't understand why everyone was giving so much importance to this marriage. It was just a business arrangement, nothing more.
I went to my bathroom to clear my head, and when I came back, Anant was standing there, a look of shock on his face. "What happened now? What did she do?" I asked, tossing my towel onto the bed.
Anant's expression changed, and he said, "The deal is done."
I was taken aback. "Which deal?" I asked, my mind racing.
Anant's eyes lit up. "The Singapore deal, Dhruv! It's done!"
I couldn't believe it. The deal I had been working on for the past three months, the one that had kept me away from home, was finally done. "You're joking, right?" I asked, still trying to process the news.
Anant shook his head. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
I was stunned. This meant I could finally go back home, live with my family, and things could go back to normal. But then, a voice in my head whispered, "What about Vaani? Your swan?"
I looked at Anant, and he seemed to know what I was thinking. "We'll think about it later," he said, and I nodded, still trying to wrap my head around the news.
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As Anant and I entered the apartment, Isha, my sister-in-law, immediately started questioning us. "Where have you both been? You should rest, you two have been gone like your deal has ended now..."
I ignored her words, as I usually did, and made my way to the hall with Anant. We settled into the comfortable couches, and Anant broke the news to Isha.
"We got the Singapore deal," Anant announced, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
Isha's expression changed from one annoyance to surprise, and she looked at us with renewed interest. I could sense her curiosity, but I didn't feel like sharing any more details with her. I just leaned back into the couch, feeling a sense of relief and accomplishment wash over me. The Singapore deal was finally done, and I could finally take a breather.
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